Precious Moments
by Verai
Summary: Takes place right after Goku and Vegeta get teleported back to Kami's Lookout after the Buu battle. Vegeta tells Bulma his true feelings, finally. One-shot, sort of continuing Fleeting Moments and Unexpected Moments.


Author's Note: This takes place right after Majin Buu is defeated. I mean literally RIGHT AFTER. [VxB, rated PG, I guess. Might make it lemon later if I get inspiration.]

**Precious Moments**

**By Verai**

Smiles and laughter, hugs and tears. It was a heartfelt reunion, and an extremely joyful moment for everyone on Kami's Lookout. To see the heroes of the day alive and well, although with an unwelcome addition to their ranks, was a very euphoric thing indeed.

After Goku had explained the situation, the fighters and their families began to part ways, back to their own homes. Still wary of Buu, Vegeta watched from the sidelines, aloof as always, but with a slight difference.

His family stood by him, watching everyone else leave.

"Should we head out then?" Bulma asked, taking out her capsule jet as Goku and his family left the tower.

"I wanna fly with Papa," Trunks said happily, tugging on his father's gloved hand.

"If he's okay with that," Bulma said, looking tentatively at Vegeta.

"Let's go home, son," Vegeta said, as he powered up and started to hover a few feet in the air. Looking at his son, he pointed a thumb to his shoulders.

Grinning madly, Trunks hopped onto his shoulders and raising his fist in the air, shouted, "YAHOO!"

Turning his head slightly to look at Bulma, Vegeta stared into her eyes for a few moments before quietly saying, "Meet you at home." He leaped off Kami's Lookout and blasted off at sonic speeds, Trunks' enthusiastic yell trailing behind.

_Did he just say 'home'?_ Getting over her initial shock, Bulma just smiled and shook her head. "Like father, like son," she muttered before she activated her capsule jet. Hopping in, she took off after them as fast as she could.

Bulma landed her jet right outside Capsule Corp and climbed out slowly, feeling the day's events catching up with her. Feeling suddenly lethargic, she slipped and started to fall out of her jet, only to fall into a pair of strong arms.

"Vegeta!"

"Clumsy fool," he mumbled as he carried her to the ground and held her long enough for her to stand properly.

"Thanks," she replied to his form of an endearment. "Where's Trunks?"

"He passed out in his bedroom. He tried to stay awake, but I told him to rest up for training tomorrow."

"Oh, I see," she said slightly confused, leaving his arms to walk back into the house.

She had only taken a few steps when suddenly she was caught up in his arms again, his warm body pressed up to her from behind. A warm, tender hug, from her stoic prince? Surprised that he would take the initiative on any kind of physical contact other than sex, Bulma froze like a statue, afraid that this precious moment would stop if she moved. She felt his mouth move close to her ear.

"I heard you," he whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"When I was yelling for the earthlings to take responsibility for saving their own world. I heard you."

She smiled, recalling the moment when she had screamed out her love. Turning in his arms, she looked at him with her deep aqua eyes. Eyes that he would now die for, that he _had_ died for. Caught in a single moment, all of their years together came crashing down in their eyes.

She expected him to just be himself, to show her rather than tell her. When it came to deep emotions, he was always that way, and she had accepted that early on. It was why their relationship worked at all. They had come to the unspoken agreement long ago; she would be human about it, and he would be Saiyan about it. They accepted each other, flaws and all.

"I..." He swallowed. "I love you, Bulma." He was staring at her, trying not to look away, but he couldn't stop his face from reddening slightly.

Surprised by his sudden declaration, she could only gape in amazement.

"I won't say it again," he said sullenly.

Bulma laughed. "It's okay, I understand." She put her forehead against his. Wrapping her arms around him, she showed him her love the way he always did. She leaned in and nipped his earlobe, nuzzled his cheek, and bit him near the pulse in his neck.

Feeling his chest rumble, she grinned. "Liked that, did you?" Licking a slow line from his pulse to his ear, she started to nibble on his earlobe again.

"Woman, do you really want to start this?"

"Of course! Why would I do anything half-assed?"

"Of course," he replied, with less sarcasm than he normally had. Picking her up as if she weighed nothing, he carried her up to their room and proceeded to show her how much he truly cared about her in a way he had never tried before: gently, tenderly.

Enjoying the afterglow, Bulma lay on her back next to Vegeta. They turned their heads to look at each other at the same time, and for the first time, Vegeta smiled softly back at her. Pulling her body close to his in a tight embrace, he nuzzled her neck and nibbled her soft skin.

"My my, you're awfully tame today," she teased.

"I went through a lot," he replied seriously. "I thought about Trunks, you, us."

"Us?"

"Yes, us. I don't think I can live without you now."

Bulma was sure she wasn't hearing him correctly, but hoping for more wonderful illusions, she kept her mouth shut.

Vegeta reached up to brush his fingers through her short, feathery hair. "I was surprised too. You mean more to me than my honor, my life. You and Trunks both. You two _are_ my pride now."

Trying desperately to not cry in front of him, Bulma buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Idiot," she sobbed. "Making me cry twice in one day."

Rubbing her back in soothing circles, Vegeta let her sniffle and cling to him, and let himself feel truly content. She was all he needed now.

Sure, he'd still feel like Kakarrot was his rival, but his burning hatred was gone, replaced with a grudging respect and even a slight fondness for his former enemy. After all, without Goku, would he have found Bulma? Would he have had a family that meant more than the world to him? He would either be dead, or still trolling around the universe, mindlessly killing aliens by the thousands and destroying star systems, still trapped in the iron chains of Freeza. No, this was a far better life. On this small, out of the way planet on the edge of the galaxy, he had found what he hadn't known he had been craving. Something all his own.

By now, she had stopped crying. She merely clung to him as if he were her lifeline. His heart warmed at the thought. She needed him, and that need made him feel stronger than ever.

"I know I tell you now and again that I love you, but I really, truly love you, Vegeta," Bulma finally said.

"I know," he murmured before kissing her temple. He was rewarded with her sleepy, content smile. Even in her exhausted state, she was beautiful. His beautiful wife.

Closing her eyes, she snuggled closer to him and sighed happily. Together they fell into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning, Bulma woke up alone, but she wasn't sad or worried like before. She knew he wasn't going to leave randomly again. Getting up and showering, she reflected on their life before the androids, and during the seven years after the defeat of Cell. Smiling at the end result of all these years, she decided that perhaps it was possible for even the most stubborn of beings to change.

Finding her two males in the training room, she went to her lab to start her work. _I guess there is such a thing as happy endings,_ she thought, as she hummed a happy tune.


End file.
